I would think it would be better to heat the water separately. Like other people have suggested, you may want to put the coffee in the pot and then add some water to make a paste then pour over the hot water. Now this idea might get me thrown off the forum, but have you ever tried putting the coffee in your pot, then adding some water to make a paste then adding more water and microwaving it? Who knows, it might turn out OK and if not, it's been a one-pot experiment (just don't do it with your jamaican blue mountain! LOL)

I've been thinking about pulling out the french press and giving it a shot. Course finding it first is the trick.

What a great site, just discovered when looking for a how to for my french press...I have been using it for years, but wanted to get some tips to be sure i was getting it just right...(saw your "advanced french press method" on youtube)

My family laughs at me with my morning ritual...boiling water (electric kettle), measuring my 21g of beans, water boils, press gets filled, beans get groun, water emptied into mug from presspot, beans in, water in, stir with chopstick until bloom, 4 min, pour into now emptied mug...best coffee i ever had...

So, my question: re coffee amount/water ratios...

I have seen anywhere from 7-9 g "per cup" or i have seen: "per 100mL"

please define : "cup" is that a 4, 6, or 8 oz cup, my Bodum press holds 320 mL to the top silver band (without coffee)

also how do you take into account the volume that the coffee itself takes up...is it Xg per /100mL of empty press pot, or Xg/ 100ml with the coffee in there (obviously there will be a difference, no???)

I have a larger 32oz pot (el cheapo from Home Goods, La Cafeteriere brand i think) for when i am serving more than just me, but more grinds means much less water here...is the 7-9g per empty pot volume the way to go?

IMO I'd prefer a blade grind just before brewing to a perfecto grind that sat for several hours or a day. I'm one of the odd sorts who actually likes a "thick" (some call it sludgy) cup, so the uneveness of the grind for press doesn't bother. There IS a difference between a well-practiced blade grind and my Mazzer grind, but I see it as a different coffee prep rather than an inferior one. Just got back from a 5-day stay in a hotel where I got by very well with a blade grinder and SwissGold. Good beans, well roasted, right temp water (Ibis Mini), yum. Grind is is crucial for espresso, but not the end-all for press.

On another point, re: how much coffee? I say "too much," and then cut back just a little. You'd be amazed a how much coffee satisfaction you can get by increasing your dose by 50% above "recommended" amounts. Adjust to taste by manipulating grind and time-of-brew. I get the water boiling, give it a short shot from the tap to drop the temp.Martin

What I like to do to drop the water temp just a bit is stick the plunger/metal filter into the water.

That drops the temp just right......and of course more importantly heats up the metal rod and filter assembly.

I wasn't sure if this method was ideal but last week I stopped the water boiling while I was still grinding the beans and that extra minute lowered the temp too much and my cup didn't extract enough flavor.

You don't need me a noobie in spades to agree with you, but I do. I just got a 20 oz press pot and was leery of attempting a brew, since I didn't want to duplicate a disastrous press pot I had years ago.

I bought some whole bean coffee (don't remember name) ground it in the supermarket grinder as coarse as the grinder could. After the steep I poured a cup and tried to drink the mud in the cup. I finally ended up chewing (LOL) the sludge. I ended up using the disposal to get rid of it. This was during the period I was the caregiver for my wife with metastatic breast cancer. I didn't have enough energy or money left over to experiment. So I dropped any more coffee investigation.

After I recovered mentally and physically I started to experiment with coffee again. An espresso I was lucky to sample in a small family owned and operated price fixe restaurant years ago has always told me that coffee was much better than currently available in most so-called coffee houses.

So, after buying a Preciso grinder I decided to see if I could get a better Press pot cup. So I ground enough beans (npthing spectacular) for a 20 ounce pot. After steeping I poured a cup and tasted it. Was I surprised!!! The coffee was marvelous! There was a small film of fines over a portion of the cup bottom that never got to my mouth.

In thinking over the situation it seems that the only thing different was a good grinder. I duplicated the process the next day with the same results. I'm an extremely happy camper now.

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